Mail-bag deliverer and catcher.



PATENTED MAR. 17, 1908.

W. H. ROGERS.- I MAIL BAG DELIVERER AND GATGHBR.

' APPLICATION FILED DEG-80,1907.

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PATENTED MAR. 17, 1908.

W. H. ROGERS.

MAIL BAG DELIVERER AND GATGHBR.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.30,1907- 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

THE Ndmzls r-zrzns co., wAsnmc-rou, b c.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFTCE.

WILLIAM H. ROGERS, OF LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, TENNESSEE.

MAILBAG DELIVERER AND CATCHER.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, l/VILLIAM H. ROGERS, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Lookout Mountain, county of Hamilton, State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Bag Deliverers and Catchers, of which the following is a full and clear specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portioi of a 1nail-car and a portion of a roadbed illustrating my invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the post or standard erected on the roadbed adjacent to the track; Figs 3, 4 and 5 are detail views hereinafter fully described.

The object of this invention is to provide simple and practical means for receiving and delivering mail-bags at predetermined points along the line of a railway without stopping the train, as more fully hereinafter set forth.

T o the accomplishment of this object and such others as may hereinafter appear, the invention consists of the parts ard combination of parts hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accomanying drawings forming a part of the specilication, in which the same reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views.

The devices on the roadbed consist of a suitable post or standard A erected in any suitable manner at a proper distance from the track and having its upper end bent toward the track and adapted to receive thebag-catcher or receiver a which consists of a plate bolted down on top of the post and provided with two pairs of prongs 1) extending in opposite directions, the prongs of each pair diverging from each other in order to present a wide mouth for the entrance of the bag. The bag holder consists of a pair of arms 0 pivoted one above the other on the post, the upper one being pivoted on a vertical pivot (1 so as to swing horizontally in either direction and the lower one being pivoted on a horizontal pivot d so as to swing only in a vertical direction. On the outer end of each of these arms are pivoted fingers c the pivots being vertical so that these fingers may swing horizontally in either direction.

The devices on the car are constructed as follows. The grab-hook for picking up the bag as the train moves along consists of a rod Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 30, 1907.

Patented March 17, 1908.

Serial No. 408,649.

'fprovided with a hookf and adapted to rotate in a pair of horizontal tubular bearings g mounted at opposite sides of the car-door. The rod is provided with a handle 71. so that it may be turned in the hearings to swing the hookf outwardly in the path of the bag that is to be )icked up. This rodf is endwisely removable from its bearings by reason of the fact that it tapers forwardly, this tapered portion being smaller than the internal diameter of the forward bearing g, so that by simply sliding the rod endwisely forward its rear end will pass out of the rear bearing. To cushion the shock a rubber or other elastic collar i is fastened on this rodfin such a position as to abut against the rear bearing and in order to hold the rod f with the grab-hookf extended horizontally outward the rod is provided with a radial pin which engages a longitudinal slot in the notch or notches in the inner end of the bearing, and these notches 7c are made sulliciently deep to permit the collari to yield considerably without bringing the pin against the bottoms of the notches.

The two bearings g are in line with each other and are each notched in its inner edge, so that the grab-hook may be reversed and made operative for a car going in the opposite direction. I t will be observed that when it is desired to deliver a bag to the train it is hung on the fingers c, as shown in dotted lines, these fingers being turned at right angles to the arms 0 and in the direction in which the car is moving. In this position the bag will be in line with the grab-hook, and when the hook engages the bag the bag rings will slide freely oil the fingers and the impact will be sullicient to swing the upper arm a horizontally out of the way while the release of the lower arm 0 will permit the same to drop down out of the way.

To deliver a sack from the train to either pair of prongs Z), I provide at each side of the door-way of the car, above the bearings g, a pair of separated tubular bearings Z and mount therein a vertical post m, this post be ing provided with a radial pin it at its lower end to rest upon the lower bearing and thus support the post in position. This post is tapered upwardly so that by simply raising it its lower end may be disconnected from the lower bearing and the device removed in its entirety from the bearings. The device is to be placed in either set of bearings according to which way the train is and for a train going in the opposite direction it will be placed in the other set. The post is provided with a horizontal arm 0 which at its extreme outer end is provided with a pair of oppositely extending fingers p which are ivoted to the arm on a vertical pivot so as to e swung out at right angles to the arm, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, or to be folded inwardly against the arm when not in use.

T o deliver a sack from the car it is simply necessary to hang the sack on the rearwardly extending finger p and swing the arm 0 out- Wardly to a position at right angles to the car, in which position the pin it will drop into a notch in the lower bearing Z and thus hold the arm in its extended position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The parts willbe so proportioned that the grab-hook will pick up its bag before the bag-holder on the car delivers its bag to the pair of prongs b, so that the bag to be delivered at the station will not disturb the bag that is to be picked up by the car.

A suitable step-ladder or platform may be erected at the post A for use in taking down the delivered bag and in placing the bag that is to be picked up by the car.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of a car and a pair of horizontal tubular bearings one at each side of the doorway and each having a notch in its inner end, a reversible grab-hook tapered toward one end and having a pin at its other end adapted to engage either of said notches, for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination, a post erected adjacent to the roadbed and provided with a doublepronged receiver, a delivering device on the car consisting of a vertical post pivotally mounted adjacent to the doorway and provided with an arm adapted to be swung out at right angles to the car, said arm being provided with a pair of pivoted fingers adapted to be swung out in opposite directions at right angles to the arm.

' 3. In combination with a suitable receiver on the roadbed, of a delivering device on the car consisting of two pairs of vertical tubular bearings one at each side of the car door opening, the upper edge of each lower bearing being notched, a post or bar adapted to be mounted vertically in either set of bear ings and to be rotated therein and provided with a pin adapted to engage in the notch in the lower bearing and also provided with a right angle arm whose outer end is provided with a pair of oppositely extending fingers, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses this 27th day of Dec. 1907.

WILLIAM H. ROGERS.

' /Vitnesses:

Gno. W. ABBOTT, WILLIAM PENLEY. 

